Initiatives

Childcare Centers

The 2014 pilot program was successful and continued through the DOH-Miami-Dade’s Partnerships to Improve Communities Health grant with the focus on improving nutrition, increasing physical activity from 60 to 90 minutes a day, and alternatives to screen time. The goal of the PICH grant for the Children Issues Committee was to provide tier 2 (technical assistance) to 48 childcare centers based on their need. The key is to educate providers so they can bring healthy changes/lifestyles to their childcare center.

Healthy Baby Taskforce / Florida Healthy Babies:

In March 2016, the Florida Department of Health launched the Florida Healthy Babies initiative, a statewide collaborative to positively influence social determinants of health and reduce racial disparities in infant mortality. This project focuses on a social determinants of health approach to close the gap among Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White infants. Data findings from the Miami-Dade County infant mortality analysis was used to inform the community and aid in developing intervention strategies at the local level to address health disparities and inequalities. The Healthy Baby Taskforce engages numerous partners to address the complex health inequities present in our community. The taskforce works to positively influence social determinants with evidence-based interventions.

Past Initiatives:

Parents Preventing Childhood Obesity through Healthy Eating

The Department of Children and Families and Publix are implementing a Healthy Eating Venue Training initiative. Participating childcare center providers will receive in-service hours for their participation. This is an in store training and tour for families of Miami-Dade County childcare centers at Publix Supermarkets. Our goal is to educate childcare centers providers as well as the children from those centers and their families on the nutritional benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.

Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW)

Through CPPW, the committee is facilitating the following partner initiatives:

Child Care Centers

Introduce legislation that proposes to enact nutrition standards for child care centers in Florida including mandating low or fat-free milk for children 2 years of age and older; provision of whole fruits and vegetables five days a week at breakfast and snack time.

Introduce legislation that proposes to enact physical activity standards for child care centers in Florida including mandating 0-hour screen time for children under 2 years old and 2-hour screen time limit for children 2 years and older.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Nutrition

Increase access to nutritious/healthy foods in Miami-Dade County Public Schools through revisions to the school wellness policy to include nutrition standards in accordance with IOM standards, installation of healthy food vending machines, and development of a Farm-to-School Program.

Physical Activity

Encourage and increase physical activity in Miami-Dade County Public Schools through the addition on an elective physical education course and the implementation of the SPARK curriculum.

Sustain, promote, and build Miami-Dade County’s Public Schools capacity to improve healthy eating and physical activity. Increase the number of schools participating in Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program.

Safe Routes to Schools

Increase the number of students that actively commute to school through the:

Adoption of a Safe Routes to School policy that requires all elementary and middle schools to document students’ mode of transportation.

Implementation of a policy that requires reallocation of the City of Miami’s budget to supply an adequate number of crossing guards in the highest-risk communities in the county.

Breastfeeding Practices and Facilities

Increase breastfeeding practices and breastfeeding facilities in Miami-Dade County through the:

Adoption of worksite policies that support a lactation program based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [Business Cases for Breastfeeding.

Implementation of the 4-D Pathway to Baby Friendly Designation in birthing centers and hospitals throughout the county.

Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade Child Care Initiative 2014

On Thursday, August 28, 2014, the Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade’s Children Issues Committee hosted a Child Care Provider Appreciation Luncheon. This event was hosted at the United Way Center for Excellence to honor child care center providers that participated in the Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade Child Care Initiative 2014. Time was gathered to celebrate the experience as they continue to Make Healthy Happen in the community. A total of 34 attendees watched a slide show presentation of the wonderful efforts done by the Children Issues committee. Child Care Providers were also presented with a certificate in recognition of their participation in the Child Care Initiative.

The main goal of the Consortium Child Care Initiative was to share the tools and technical assistance needed with child care professionals to help facilitate positive, healthy changes in children. To implement these changes throughout Miami-Dade County, which will result in lifelong, healthy and positive practices in our children, their families and the child care providers who serve them. Five selected child care centers were piloted in the underserved areas down south from March to July 2014. Technical assistance that was provided at the child care centers were Healthy cooking demonstrations for families, Nutrition and Physical Activity, Oral Health, Nutrition Education, Blood Pressure Screenings and Access to Care outreach.